Pump type liquid dispenser



7 y 1957 LA VERN N. SMITH ETAL 2,792,974

PUMP TYPE LIQUID DISPENSER Filed July 5, 1955 Win ' Ldl ern N Smith Aden J. Smith IN V EN TORS.

United States Patent 2,792,974 PUMP TYPE LIQUID DISPENSER La Vern N. Smith and Aden J. Smith, Herman, Pa. Application July 5, 1955, Serial No. 519,886 3 Claims. (Cl. 222-376) This invention relates to liquid dispensers, and particularly to improvements in oil cans which are supplied with pumps and which are capable of dispensing liquid in the inverted as well as upright positions.

The general object of this invention is to provide a liquid dispenser capable of emitting fluid in the upright, inverted or partially upright or inverted positions by actuation of a pump which is fitted with a special valve arrangement.

A more specific object of this invention is to provide an oil dispenser with a pump of the manually operable type, the pump having an inlet pipe which is supplied with ports that are controlled by a valve body having a first and a second suction line, one suction line being adapted to draw fluid from the bottom of the container during which time, the other suction line is closed, and the other suction line being adapted to draw fluid from the top part of the container, as when the container is inverted, at which time, the valve body slides on the pump inlet pipe to a position closer to the now lowermost part of the container, at which time, the other suction line is closed from communication with the ports of the inlet pipe.

A further object of this invention is to provide a liquid dispenser as described above in the foregoing stated object, which has both suction lines near one side. or on one side of the valve body so that when the container is on its side, the valve body will rotate on the inlet pipe so that the open ends of the suction lines will be submerged in the liquid, provided there is a working amount of liquid remaining in the container. A further object of this invention is to provide a pump type liquid dispenser which automatically, in response to inverting or partially inverting the dispenser, withdraws liquid from that part of the container which is lowermost.

These together with other objects and advantages which will become subsequently apparent reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

Figure 1 is a sectional view of a liquid dispenser embodying the principles of the invention;

Figure 2 is a fragmentary longitudinal sectional view of the dispenser of Figure 1, showing it in the inverted position;

Figure 3 is a fragmentary enlarged transverse sectional view taken on the line 3-3 of Figure 1 and in the direction of the arrows; and

Figure 4 is a fragmentary enlarged view taken substantially on the line 4-4 of Figure 1 and in the direction of the arrows, illustrating particularly one of the valve port assemblies in the pump inlet pipe.

In carrying out the principles of the invention, the liquid dispenser selected is designed primarily for forcibly ejecting oil. Accordingly, liquid dispenser comprises,

2,792,974 Patented May 21, i957 in general, a liquid container 12, a pump 14 thereon, together with a valve assembly 16 which is operatively connected with the pump inlet pipe 18 and designed to conduct liquid to the pump chamber 20 in response to pump demands at all positions of the container 12. Container 12 serves as a reservoir for liquid, oil in this case, and has a bottom 22 and an open top 24 to which the pump housing 26 is separably connected.

Pump 14 consists of pump chamber 20 in housing 26 together with a diaphragm 28 which forms one wall of chamber 20, a cover 30 over the diaphragm 28 and 31 is in cover 30. An operating lever 34 is pivotally connected to push rod 32 and has a link 36 fastening one end thereof to the pump housing 26. A main spring 38 seats upon a wall of the housing 26 and a part of the diaphragm 28, opposing actuation of the diaphragm in one direction. When operating lever 34 is actuated, the diaphragm 28 makes smaller the chamber 20 and closes the spring loaded check valve 40 which controls liquid inlet passage 42. At the same time, any fluid entrapped in chamber 20 is forced through the housing passageways 44 in order to open the spring loaded check valve 46 and urge the liquid through the pipe serving as a spout 48.

When operating force is removed from the lever 34, spring 38 returns the diaphragm 28 to the rest position, thereby applying a suction to normally close valve 40 which opens it, and thereby allowing the spring to return the normally closed valve 46 to the closed condition. Suction in the pump chamber 20 will aid .the return of spring loaded valve 46 to the closed position.

Attention is now invited to the valve assembly 16 wherein in Figure 1 it is shown in operating condition for the liquid dispenser arranged in upright position. Valve 40 controls the passageway 42 which is formed in part within the coupling 48, the coupling being threaded to the pump housing 26 and threadedly holding the inlet pipe 18. In addition, the coupling 48 serves as a stop for limiting the travel of valve body 50 in one direction on the pipe 18 (Figure 2). Movement of the valve body 50 on pipe 18 in the opposite direction is limited by a stop 52 which is connected to the outer end of pipe 18. Valve body 50 is movable on inlet pipe 18 by gravity, so that when the dispenser 10 is in the upright position (Figure 1), valve body 50 is gravity lowered.

The pipe 18 is provided with a first group of liquid inlet ports 60 and spaced therefrom, a second group of inlet ports 62. Valve body 50 consists of .a sleeve 62 which is slidable on the pipe 18 and which has an enlarged. chamber 66 at one end. This chamber is closed at its outer end by cap 68 or a suitable equivalent. An annular groove 70 is formed in the sleeve 64 intermediate its ends and is so spaced from the outwardly flared shoulders 72 separating the bore of sleeve 62 from the enlargement 66 thereof, that when the outwardly flared portion 72 seats upon stop 52 (Figure 1), the annular groove 70 is in communication with the first ports 60. At the same time, however, the valve body 50 closes the ports 62 (Figure 4).

A first suction line 74 is carried by the valve body and has one end in communication with the annular groove 70 that serves as a passage for liquid to enter ports and inlet pipe 18. The opposite end of the suction line 74 is directed toward the bottom 22 of the container 12. A second suction line 76 is directed toward the top of the container 12 and is secured in communication with the valve chamber or enlargement 66 in valve body 50.

In operation, when the dispenser is disposed as shown in Figure 1, and when liquid is darn ended in pump chamber 20, suction is applied through inlet pipe 18, ports 60,

seesawannular groove 70 and suction line 74. At this time, suction line 76 is closed inasmuch as ports 62 are closed by a part of the valve body. I

When the liquid dispenser is inverted, as shown in Figure 2, the valve body 50 slides by gravity on pipe 18 to the stop 48. The liquid in container l2 flows toward the pump 14, and it is assumed that the liquid level is such that the suction line 74 is open. In this operational position, the suction path is through suction line 76, chamber 66 with which the suction line 76 communicates, ports 60 and 62 Which are in communication with the chamber 66, inlet pipe 18 and ultimately through the pump. At this operational condition, the suction line 74 is closed for conduction of liquid in that the annular groove 70 with which it communicates fails to communicate with any port in the inlet line 18.

When the dispenser is at some inclination other than directly upright or directly inverted, it will also operate. Assume that it is on its side in the horizontal position. Then, the valve body 50 will rotate on pipe 13 until the heavier part, that is, the part having the suction lines '74 and 76 connected to it, are in the down position. This is the same location in the container 12 wherein there is the liquid to be dispensed. With the inlet ends or the suction lines submerged in the liquid, suction of pump 20 will draw liquid into pump chamber 20 for ultimate emission from spout 48.

The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to'the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention as claimed.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

1. A liquid dispenser comprising a liquid container, a pump connected with said container, a liquid inlet pipe connected operatively with said pump to conduct liquid from said container to said pump, and movable liquid conducting means on said inlet pipe having suction lines terminating near opposite ends of said container, said movable means including a valve body slidable longitudinally on said liquid inlet pipe, said pipe having ports which are selectively closed by said valve body in response to movement of said valve body on said pipe, and said suction lines being carried by said body and selectively arranged in registry with said ports to conduct liquid from selected ends of said container, and said body being rotatable on said pipe to follow by gravity the liquid in the container when the container is tilted.

2. A liquid dispenser adapted to dispense liquid in all inverted and upright positions, said dispenser comprising a liquid container, a closure for said container, a

suction pump built in said closure at one end of said container to draw and expel liquid from said container, an inlet pipe communicating with said pump and disposed in said container, said pipe having a first inlet port and a second inlet port spaced therefrom, a valve body for said ports slidably mounted on said inlet pipe and movable toward opposite ends of said container, stops on said pipe for limiting the movement of said valve body on the pipe, a first suction line carried by said body and opening toward one end of said container, said valve body having a passage which connects said first suction line with said first port when thecontainer is in the upright position and said body is gravity moved to a position on one of said stops whence the valve body closes the second port, a second suction line carried by said valve body and adapted to conduct liquid from the opposite end of said container into said pipe when said container is inverted, at which time said Valve body slides on said pipe to the other of said stops and closes said first suction line.

3. In a liquid dispenser of the forced feed type and including a container having a pump operatively connected therewith, means operatively connected with said pump for delivering liquid thereto in all positions of the container, said delivering means comprising a liquid inlet pipe for said pump and disposed in said container, liquid inlet ports longitudinally spaced in said pipe, a valve body on said pipe and adapted to control said ports, a first suction line carried by said valve body and adapted to draw liquid from one end of said receptacle, a second suction line carried by said valve body and adapted to draw liquid from the opposite end of said container, and

said suction lines being arranged to communicate with said valve body controlled ports so that said suction lines are selectively closed in response to the location of the valve body on said pipe, said valve body being both rotatably carried on said pipe and slidable on said pipe to alternately cover one port and uncover the other, said suction lines being secured to said valve body on one side of said valve body so that when said container is in the approximately horizontal position, the weight of said suction lines will rotate the valve body on said pipe so that the open outer ends of said suction lines are in the liquid of the container.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,325,134 Anthes Dec. 16 1919 1,557,127 Wilkins Oct. 13, 1925 1,567,291 Novak Dec. 29, 1925 FOREIGN PATENTS 240,512 Great Britain Oct. 2, 1925 

